Means for carrying out a removable flow tube program



July l2, 1960 w. w. DoL.L.|s,oN 2,944,605

MENS FOR CARRYING OUT A REMOVABLE FLOW TUBE PROGRAM Filed Juiy 25, 1958 2 Smets-shut 1 Arran/:Ki l

July 12, 1960 w, w. DoLLlsQN 2,944,605

' MEANS RoR CARRYING our A RRMOVARLR mow TUBE: PROGRAM Filed July as, 195e 2 sheets-sheet g FIG -3 72 x z y .I 5p f ve, F1a-4 74 69/7 l r7 7/7 .g f il z ,r a

INVENTOR l JmL/0M Mau/lan/ i Wai/VIH.

Unircd States. ParenffO; i

Filed July 25,' 195s, ser. No. 750,946

. 16 claims. (61.1'664-143) This invention relates to well tools for use in the completion of av multiple zone well, and more specifically to well tools which may be landed in, locked and sealed to, and removed from well packers by means of wire line equipment. This application is a continuation-impart of my co-pending application, Serial No. 729,682, tiled April 2.1, 1958 and entitled, -Means for Carrying Out a Removable Flow Tube Program. Y

As set out iny my above mentioned application, multiple zone well production can be carried out by installing a duel-bore packer in the well casing between upper and ylower productionzones. -An upper dual-bore packer is lowered intoY the well byy a tubing string and set in place in the casing above the upper production zone,fand a second tubing string is connected to the upper'packer. This completes thepermanent installation of the well,

I 2,944,605 Patented` July 12, 1960 ICC 2 in which like partsare designated by likereference numerals throughout the same, Y

Figs. l and 2V are elevational` sectional views of the upper andV lower port-ions, respectively, of a safety joint constructed in accordance with the invention and shown v as landed, locked and sealed in one bore of a dual-bore with both tubing Vstrings being open to the upper production zone. The tubing handling rig at ground surface may then be removed, and all subsequent operations may be carried out by wire line apparatus;

An example of such a subsequent installation may be that it is desired to vproduce the upper zone through one tubing string and to produce the lower zone through the other tubing string. To carry this out, an extension pipe is lowered bywire line through one of the tubing strings Vand is locked and sealed 4in the lower vend thereof. A

safety joint carried at the lower end of the' extension pipe .j is-locked and sealed in one bore ,of the lower packer. A

plug -choke is lowered by wireline through Vthe other'tubing string and is locked and sealed in the* other bore of the lowerpacker to seal against flow therethrough, With this installation, the two production zones are fluidly separated and the lower Zone produces through the irst tubing string while the upper zone produces through the second tubing string. A

In the event that it is desired to rework the lower zone,

the plug choke is removedffrom the lower packer by Y packer, and a plug-choke .is `reinstalled therein.

From the brief foregoing description, it is apparent that such operations require readily removable plug chokes andsafety joints which may be landed in, locked and sealed to, and removed from the lower packer by wire line operation, vand it is the primary object of this invention.A to provide such -well tools.

Other objects and advantages` will become more app-arent in the course of the following .detailed description.

In the drawings, forming a part of this application, and

packer. Y y v Figs. 3` and 4, arevviews similar to Figs. ;1 and 2 and illustrate a.plug choke constructed in accordance with the invention.

The safety joint Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. l and 2 thereof,` the lowerV packer 1 is secured in well casing 2. Since the particular details whereby the packer 1` is set in place and sealed in casing 2 are conventional and form no part of the present invention,'the packer 1 has been illus'trated'in schematic form in the drawings. If desired, a duel bore packer such as that shown on page 936'of the Composite Catalog of Oil Field Equipment land Services' 1957 (22nd) edition, may be used in the present invention. The two longitudinal bores 3 and 4 of the packer are adapted for use in the present invention l by machining each bore so that it has an internal landing nipple profile, as shown in Fig. Y1; Each honed bore has an upwardly and outwardly inclined annular shoulder 5 at the upper end thereof, and a downwardly and outwardly inclined annular shoulder 6 at the lower end thereof. The upper inner wall7 of the packer is tapered outwardly and upwardly so that tools lowered into the packer will be guided thereby and by the bore separating partition 8 into one of the packer bores. v

` The lsafety joint 10 comprises a vertically disposed generally cylindrical mandrel 11 formed by the joint member 12, upperl and lower packing mandrels 13 and 1'4, lock.

therethrough' and to serve as a guide to facilitate the connection of a fishing Jmember (not shown) with the 'undercut fishing neck 19 formed thereon,v `The joint member 12 is radially enlarged to form an outwardly extending and downwardlyA facing seating surface 20 engageable with the upper shoulder ,5' of one of the packer'bores 3 or 4.

Vertically spaced apart chevron packing members 22 and 23 are carried on theupper and lower packing mandrels 13 and 14, respectively,y and a testing passage 24 is formed through the upper packing mandrel 13 to provide fluid communication from the bore 17 to between the packing members Y2 2 and 23.

Y The locking assembly comprises a bow spring collet sleeve 25 having* a plurality of longitudinal slots 26 therethrough from below the upper end thereof to above the lower end thereof to form a plurality of ribs 27. The collet sleeve 25 encircles the lock man drelv 15 and can move between an upper position `thereon wherein the upper end of the sleeve abuts the lower end of the packing mandrel 14 anda lower position thereon wherein the lower end of the sleeve abuts the upper end of the end'su'b v16. However, normal downward movement of the sleeve is limited to the intermediate positionrshow'n in Fig. l by the shear'srew 28 which extends through sleeve 25 into the longitudinal recess 29 in the lock mandrel. s s

When the sleevev 25 isin its illustrated intermediate position, the outwardly projecting portion 3,1 of the lock mand-rel engages therinwardly projecting portion 32 of the ribsv k27 vso that the ribs are prevented from exing inwardly. An outwardly projecting portion 33 formed 23 on each rib provides a downwardly and outwardly extending seating surface 34 engageable with the lower shoulder 6 of the packer bores, and an upwardly and outwardly extending cam surface 35.

When the sleeve 25 is in either its upper or lower position, the inwardly extending rib portions 32 will be opposite one of the annular grooves 36 or 37 so that the ribs may flex thereinto'".

A lead-in pipe 40, secured to the lower end of end sub 16, may be considered as a part of the mandrel 1.1, and has a plurality of ports 41 therethrough to provide fluid communication between the interior and exterior thereof. A plug member 42, disposed within the leadin pipe, is sealed thereto by O-ring- 43 and is locked thereto vby shear pin member y44. The lower end of the plug member 42 is slotted, `at 46, and a spring latch member 47 is carried thereby. As will be noted in the drawings, the upper ends of the spring latch lare biased outwardly against the bore of the plug member. If the shear pin 44 is sheared and the plug member moves downwardly, the upper ends of the latch member will engage the internal threads 48 `which wi-ll act as latch shoulders to restrain upward movement of the plug member within the lead-in pipe. Downward movement of the plug member'is limited by engagement with sub 49,

The upper end of the mandrel 11 has telescopically connected thereto a tubular member'50, which is held thereto by shear screw elements 51 and is sealed thereto by O-ring 52. The tubular member is internally threaded at 53 for connectionto an extension pipe 54.

The shear strength of shear screws 51 is greater than the shear strength of shear screws 28, for a reason to be explained hereinafter.

In the installation of the safety joint 10, the tubular member 50 is connected to the lower end of an extension pipe 54 and the latter is lowered by Awire line through one of the tubing strings of a dual zone well. As the cam surface 35 of the outwardly projecting portions 33 on the bow spring collet sleeve ribs encounters obstructions in the tubing string, the sleeve will moveupwardly on the lock mandrel to position the inwardly projecting rib portions 32 to flex into the lock mandrel groove 36, so that the obstructions may be passed The same upward movement of the sleeve 25 will occur when the safety joint enters one of the bores of packer 1, enabling the safety joint to pass downwardly therein until the seating surface 20 engages the upper shoulders ofthe packer to `prevent further downward movement. If an upward force 4is exerted on the safety joint, the collet sleeve 25 will move downwardly on the lock mandrel to the position shown in Fig. 1, and the seating surface 34 on the sleeve ribs 27 will engage the lower shoulder 6 of the packer to prevent upward movement of the safety joint yfrom the packer. The safety joint is now locked in the packer Iagainst upward or downward movement therethrough.

The effectiveness of the seal established between pack- .ing members 22 and 23 and the honed bore 3 of the packer 1 may be ascertained by applying a pressure in .the extension pipe 54 and safety joint 10. lf the seal is not properly established, the pressure will leak out through the testing passage 24 and by the defective seal ,of either of the packing members 22 or 23.

The pressure within the safety joint is then increased until sufficient to shear the pin 44, thus allowing the plug member to move downwardly in the lead-in pipe 40, where it is latched out of the way by the spring latch 47. Fuid communication is now had through the ports 41 into the bore 17 of the safety joint and up through the extension pipe 54. v

To remove the safety joint from packer 1, the extension pipe 54 is pulled upwardly to engage the outwardly yprojecting rib portions 33 with the lower packer shoulder `6.V The safety joint is now jarred upwardly to shear the shear pins 28, `allowing the sleeve 25 to move to its lower 4 position on the lock mandrel 1S. The ribs 27 may now flex inwardly so that the safety joint may be removed from the packer.

In the event that the stafety joint is sanded or otherwise stuck in the'packer, `additional upward jarring will shear the stronger shear Vscrews 51, `enabling the extension pipe 54 to be removed from the well. A lishing tool (not shown) can then be run into the well to grapple the iishing neck 19 of the joint member 12. Without the large mass of extension pipe between the jarring tool and the safety joint, the safety joint can then be more easily removed from the packer by upward jarring.

ln normal removal, the weaker Shear -screws 28 will be sheared before the shear screws 51, so that the only time when the latter screws are sheared is in the abnormal situation when the safety joint is struck in the packer.

The plug choke The plug choke 60, illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, comprises an elongated mandrel 61 comprised of the top sub 62, packing mandrel 63, lock mandrel 64, bottom sub Y65 and lead-in pipe 66 connected together `as shown, and having an axial bore 67 therethrough.

A plug member 68 slidlably fits within the bore 67, at the upper end thereof, is connected to the top sub 62 by shear pin 69, and is sealed against ow therepast by 0- ring 71. The upper end 72 of the plug member projects upwardly from the top sub and is provided with an undercut fishing neck 73.

rl`he top sub 62 is also provided with an undercut fishing neck 74, and is lradially enlarged to provide a downwardly facing seating surface 75 adapted to engage the upper shoulder 5 of one of the bores of packer 1.

A packing member 76 is carried by the packing mandrel 63 to seal against a honed bore of packer 1. A bow spring collet sleeve 77, carried by lock mandrel 64, is identical to that `described in connection with the safety joint 10, and is provided with shear screws 78 and with upwardly facing seating surfaces 79 engageable with the lower shoulder 6 of packer 1, as previously described.

The lead-in pipe 66 is relatively long, in the order of 3 or 4 feet, to permit the plug choke to be inserted easily into one of the bores of the packer `1, and if lost atop the packer, to facilitate -iishing for it. A plurality of passages 81 `are formed through the lead-in pipe to provide fluid communication between bore 67 and the exterior of the device.

`An equalizing su-b 82, disposed within bore 67 and connected to the top sub 62, has a restricted axial passage 83 therethrough.

The shear pin member 69 has a lesser shear strength than the shear screw means 78, for a purpose to be explained hereinafter.

In the installation of the plug choke 60, a suitable running tool (not shown) is attached to the shing neck 73, and the plug choke is lowered by wire line into the well untilthe lead-in pipe enters dne of the bores of packer 1. The plug choke is installed in packer 1 in the same manner as the safety joint previously described. The running tool is then disconnected by suitable jarring operation and is removed from the well. The plug choke 60 will now seal the bore of packer 1 against ow therethrough, and will be prevented from upward or downward movement through the packer by the engagement of the seating surfaces 75 and 79 with the lower and yupper shoulders 6 and 5, respectively, of packer 1.

Prior to the removal of the plug choke 60 from packer 1, the pressures above and below the packer are equalized by removing the plug member 68. This is accomplished by engaging the fishing neck 73 with a suitable pulling tool, operated by wire line, which is jarred upwardly to shear the relatively weak shear pin 69. Well fluids may now pass through the bore 67 of the plug choke, with the rate of ow and equalization being governed by the much smaller diameter bore 83 of the 'edualizig member 8 2. After'theipiessureshave been `equalized, Aa suitable wire line operated pulling'tool engagesV the fishing neck 74,` on thev top sub 62. Upward jars will then shear the stronger shear screws 78 to permit the removal lof 'the plug choke in the same manner as previously described in connection with the removal of the safety joint Y10.

Itis tobe realized that the embodiments of the invention, herewith shown and described, are'to be takenas preferred embodiments of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scdpe of the attached claims.

Having thus described my invention, what`I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A well tool` comprising an elongated tubular mandrel having an `axial bore therethrough, an-outwardly extending and downwardly facing seating surface on the upper end of said mandrel, a collet sleeve mountedrfor longitudinal sliding'movement on the exterior surface of the lower end of said mandrel between upper, intermediate and lower positionsl thereon, said collet sleeve having a plurality of longitudinally extending flexiblev ribs, said ribshaving an outwardlyextending projection and` an inwardly extending projection thereon intermediate their ends, a recess formed in said mandrel adjacent said sleeve, said recess having a closed lower end, shear screw means extending through said sleeve into said recess and freely movable therein to allow normal movement of said sleeve between said upper and intermediate positions on said mandrel and engageable with the closed lower end of said recess to normally prevent movement of said sleeve from said intermediate position to said lower position on said mandrel, an outwardly extending projection formed on said mandrel engageable by said inwardly extending rib projections when said sleeve is in its intermediate position said mandrel having iirst and second annular gro'oves therein one above and one below said outwardly extending projection into which said inwardly extending rib projection may flex when said sleeve is in its upper or lower positions on said mandrel, and packing means mounted o'n the exterior of said mandrel between said downwardly facing seating surface and said sleeve.

2. In a well tool as set forth in claim 1 wherein said packing means comprises two vertically spaced apart packing members, and further including a testing passage formed through said mandrel from said bore thereof to between said packing members.

3. In a well tool as set forth in claim l further including a tubular member telescoped onto the upper end of said mandrel, a shear element releasably connecting said tubular member to said mandrel, said shear element having a greater shear strength than said shear screw means, and means on said tubular member for attaching a tubing string thereto.

4. In a well tool as set forth in claim 1 further including a pressure equalizing member disposed within said mandrel bore, said equalizing member having a restricted passage longitudinally therethrough.

5. A well tool comprising an elongated tubular mandrel having an axial bore therethrough, a fishing neck on the upper end of said mandrel, an outwardly extending and downwardly facing seating surface on the upper end of said mandrel, a collet sleeve mounted for longitudinal sliding movement on the exterior surface of the lower end of said mandrel between upper, intermediate and lower positions thereon, said collet sleeve being longitudinally slotted therethrough from below the upper end thereof to above the lower end thereo'f to form a plurality of longitudinally extending flexible ribs, said ribs having an outwardly extending projection and an inwardly extending projection thereon intermediate their ends, a recess formed in said mandrel adjacent said sleeve, said recess having a closed lower end, shear screw means extending through said sleeve into said recess and freely movable therein to allow normal movement. of said sleeve between said upper and intermediate positions on said mandrel and, engageable with the closed lower end of said recess to normally prevent movement of said sleeve from said intermediate position to said lower position'on `said mandrel, an outwardly extending projection formed on said mandrel engageable-byjsaid inwardly extending rib Aprojections when said sleeve is in its intermediate position,-said mandrel having first and second annular grooves therein one above and one below said outwardly extending projections into which said inwardly extending rib projections may flex when said sleeve is in its upper or Alower'positions on saidV mandrel, packing means mounted on the exterior of said mandrel between said downwardly facing seating surface and said sleeve, a flow passage formed through the said mandrel below said packing means to communicate the exterior of said mandrel with said bore, an imperforate plug member slidably disposed within-saidboreand sealed thereto, and a shear member releasably Ysecuring said plug member to said mandrel in saidfbore above said flow passage.

6: Infa well tool asset forth-in claim 5 wherein said .packingY means comprises two' vertically spaced apart packing members, and further including a testing passage formed through said mandrel from said bore thereof to between said packing members.

7. In a well tool as set form in claim 5 further including a tubular member telescoped onto the upper end of said mandrel, a shear element releasably connecting said tubular member to said mandrel, said shear element having a greater shear strength than said shear screw means, and means on said tubular member for attaching a tubing string thereto.

8. In a well tool as set forth in claim 5 further including a latch member carried -by said plug member, spring means biasing said latch member outwardly into engagement with said bore, and a latch shoulder formed in said bore for engagement by said latch member when said plug member is below said flow passage to restrain upward movement of said plug member within said bore when latched thereto.

9. In a well tool as set forth in claim 5 wherein said packing means comprises two vertically spaced apart packing members, and further including a testing passage formed through said mandrel from said bore thereof to between said packing members, an inwardly and upwardly converging perforate end member formed on the upper end of said mandrel, a tubular member telescoped onto the upper end of said mandrel, a shear element releasably connecting said tubular member to said mandrel, said shear element having a greater shear strength than said shear screw means, and means on said tubular member for attaching a tubing string thereto.

10. In a well tool as set forth in claim 5 wherein said packing means comprises two vertically spaced apart packing members, and further including a testing passage formed through said mandrel from said bore thereof to between said packing members, an inwardly and upwardly converging perforate end member formed on the upper end of said mandrel, a tubular member telescoped onto the upper end of said mandrel, a shear element releasably connecting said tubular member to said man- Idrel, said shear element having a greater shear strength than said shear screw means, means on said tubular member for attaching a tubing string thereto, a latch member carried by said plug member, spring means biasing said latch member outwardly into engagement with said mandrel bore, and a latch shoulder formed in said bore for engagement by said latch member when said plug member is below said flow passage to restrain upward movement of said plug member within said bore 'when latohed thereto.

11. In a -well tool as set forth in claim 5 further including a pressure equalizing member disposed within said Y'l mandrel bore, said equalizing member having a restricted passage longitudinally therethrough. Y Y Y 12.' `@Inar'well'total as set forth in claim 5 wherein Athe shear strength of Vsaid shear screw means is greater than said shear member.

13. In a well tool as set forth in claim v5 wherein the shear strength of said shear screw means is greater than said shear member, wherein said plug member extends above the upper end of said mandrel, and further including a fishing neck formed on the upperend of said plug member.

14. In a well tool as set forth in claim 5 wherein said plug member extends above the upper end of said mandrel, and further including a fishing neck formed on the upper end of said plug member, and a pressure equalizing member disposed within said mandrel bore, said equalizing member having a restricted passage longitudinally therethrough. Y

15. In a well tool as set forth in claim 5 wherein said plug member extends above the upper end of said mandrel, and further including a fishing neck formed on the upper end of said plug member, a pressure equalizing member disposed within said mandrel bore, said equaltending downwardly therefrom. Y

16. In a well tool as set forth in claim 5 wherein the rshear strength of said shear screwimea'ns is'greater than said shear member, lwherein said plug member extends above the upper end of said mandrel, and'further including a ishing neckY formed on the upper end Vof said plug member, a pressure equalizing member disposed within said mandrel bore, said equalizing member' having a restricted passage longitudinally therethrough, and an elongated perforate tubularmember secured to the lower end of said mandrel and extending downwardly therefrom.

References Cited in the file Yof this patent UNITED YSTATES PATENTS*V 1,207,689 Hahn Dec. 5, 1916 2,392,244 Hooser Jan. l, 1946 Y 2,571,478 Otis Oct. 16, 1951 2,644,527 Baker July 7, 1953 2,846,014 Dain et a1. Aug. 5, 1958 

